Directions

In this chapter we discussed why well-designed data graphics are important and we described a taxonomy for understanding their composition.

The objective of this assignment is for you to understand what characteristics you can use to develop a great data graphic.

Each question is worth 5 points.

To submit this homework you will create the document in Rstudio, using the knitr package (button included in Rstudio) and then submit the document to your Rpubs account. Once uploaded you will submit the link to that document on Canvas. Please make sure that this link is hyper linked and that I can see the visualization and the code required to create it.

Question #1

Answer the following questions for this graphic Relationship between ages and psychosocial maturity

  1. Identify the visual cues, coordinate system, and scale(s)

The graph includes a line plot and a shaded area plot as visual clues. Age in years is the horizontal coordinate system, and the Erikson Psychosocial Stage Inventory’s assessment of psychosocial maturity is the vertical coordinate system. The vertical axis scale extends from 0 to 1 in increments of 0.2, while the horizontal axis scale ranges from 10 to 70 years of age in stages of 10.

  1. How many variables are depicted in the graph? Explicitly link each variable to a visual cue that you listed above.

The graph shows two variables: age and psychological maturity. Age is depicted using a continuous scale on the x-axis, and psychological maturity is depicted using an ordinal scale on the y-axis. Location along the x-axis serves as a visual cue for age, whilst the position along the y-axis serves as a visual cue for psychosocial maturity.

  1. Critique this data graphic using the taxonomy described in the lecture.

The advantages of this data graphic, which is based on the taxonomy discussed in the lecture, are the way it depicts the relationship between age and psychosocial development using the right visual cues. The graph may be made better, though, by giving the axes and lines labels to show the variables they represent. A legend that describes the significance of the shaded region plot may also be useful. Finally, a title that is more helpful and descriptive would help the graph.

Question #2

Answer the following questions for this graphic World’s top 10 best selling cigarette brands 2004-2007

  1. Identify the visual cues, coordinate system, and scale(s)

The bar heights, colors, and brand names in the design serve as visual signals. The coordinate system is a horizontal bar graph with the years 2004–2007 on the x-axis and the sales volume in millions of sticks on the y-axis. The scales in the illustration are categorical scales for the brand names and colors, and numerical scales for the sales volume.

  1. How many variables are depicted in the graph? Explicitly link each variable to a visual cue that you listed above.

The figure shows two variables: the brand names and their corresponding sales volumes. The labeling on the bars represents the brand names, while the height of the bars represents the sales volume.

  1. Critique this data graphic using the taxonomy described in the lecture.

Data graphic analysis utilizing the taxonomy outlined in the lecture:

Representation: The bars in the image clearly display the relative sales volume of the top 10 cigarette brands for each year, effectively conveying the information. It’s simple to tell which brand something is because to the colors and labelling. The y-axis scale, however, might be clearer due to the amount of zeros at the end of the

Accuracy: The data seems to be accurate, but since it’s unclear where it came from or how it was generated, it’s impossible to check for sure.

Clarity: The image is straightforward and simple to grasp, but with a few tweaks, it may be even more so. For instance, the bars may be labeled with their real sales volume rather than just their rank, and the y-axis could contain intervals with labels.

Functionality: The image shows the top 10 cigarette brands’ sales volumes, but it may be made more useful by adding details like market share, historical trends, or comparisons to other brands.

Question #3

Find two data graphics published in a newspaper on on the internet in the last two years.

  1. Identify a graphical display that you find compelling. What aspects of the display work well, and how do these relate to the principles that we have just gone over in lecture. Include a screenshot of the display along with your solution (Hint:use the following in a code chunk: knitr::include_graphics(“your_graphic”).
library(knitr)
knitr::include_graphics("C:/Users/dhari/Downloads")

This infographic is really clear and instructive. The bar graph demonstrates the relationship between housing expenses and the inflation rate as a whole. The colors give a very clear representation of the proportions.

  1. Identify a graphical display that you find less compelling. What aspects of the display don’t work well? Are there ways that the display might be improved? Include a screenshot of the display along with your solution (Hint:use the following in a code chunk: knitr::include_graphics(“your_graphic”).
library(knitr)
knitr::include_graphics("C:/Users/dhari/Downloads")

visualization. At the first glance, you may feel like the chart is intuitive and tells us S&P’s fluctuations.However, the article is to demonstrate the relationship between bond yield and stock market performance. In this case, the chart misses the bond part. Also, the chart is not clear in that the line inckludes too many data points.

Question #4

Briefly (one paragraph) critique the designer’s choices. Would you have made different choices? Why or why not? Note: Link contains a collection of many data graphics, and I don’t expect (or want) you to write a full report on each individual graphic. But each collection shares some common stylistic elements. You should comment on a few things that you notice about the design of the collection.

What is a Data Scientist

Answer: The “What is a Data Scientist” graphic’s creator made some obvious and wise design decisions. To effectively convey the information and provide readers a clear grasp of what a data scientist is and what they do, the graphic combines text, color, and drawings. While the text gives further background and context, the inclusion of pictures and other visual components makes the content interesting and approachable. The overall design is tidy and well-structured, and the color scheme is constant and complementary. To make the content even more accessible and simple to grasp, the image might benefit from more annotations and labeling in addition to a clearer hierarchy of information. Overall, the designer’s selections are successful, yet there is potential for improvement in terms of clarity and organization.

Question #5

Briefly (one paragraph) critique the designer’s choices. Would you have made different choices? Why or why not? Note: Link contains a collection of many data graphics, and I don’t expect (or want) you to write a full report on each individual graphic. But each collection shares some common stylistic elements. You should comment on a few things that you notice about the design of the collection.

Charts that explain food in America

Answer: The “Charts that Explain Food in America” graphic collection’s designer made deft and useful design decisions. The graphics offer a thorough and succinct summary of a variety of food-related subjects, including the breakdown of food spending, the rise of plant-based diets, and the discrepancies in access to healthy food. The graphics efficiently express the data and convey the information by utilizing a variety of visual elements, such as bar charts, line charts, maps, and pictures. The general design is simple and easy to understand, and the color scheme is reliable and tastefully chosen. The data is also made easier to understand and retrieve by the use of annotations, labeling, and context. Overall, the designer made great decisions that clearly convey the information.